FullDisclosure (11 page)

He went to his bag and rummaged around until he found what he was looking for. A large black, vibrating dildo. He looked up to find her watching him, and was gratified to see her eyes go wide with trepidation. He crossed to her, switched it on and held it up for her to see clearly. “Do you want it?”

She swallowed thickly but nodded.

“Of course you do. But show me how much. Show me your cunt.” He switched it off and watched as, very slowly, she parted her legs. “That’s a good angel.” And with great care he inserted the silent device into her pussy. It was large and she winced visibly at the intrusion, but to her credit made no protest.

He was just reaching for the switch when his cell phone rang. He cursed his irritation loudly, but then made a decision. He switched the vibrator on high and, satisfied with the gentle hum that resulted, pushed her legs together. “Hold it there and don’t let go until I tell you to.”

Her eyes were wide and he could easily see the building climax. This was going to be good. Never taking his eyes off her, he picked up his phone from the nightstand and switched it on. “Yes?”

“Oh yeah. Mr. Ballantyne, sir, it’s me.”

“Yes, Rufus. What the hell is it now?” Taylor’s eyes had closed now as she concentrated on keeping the toy in place, and likely tried
not
to come.

“It’s that lawyer of hers. You know, the new one. The one who got her off.”

Cyril curbed the urge to smack his own forehead. “Yes, of course I know.” Karey Duncan had seemingly come out of nowhere and made his life a living nightmare. But since Sadie’s release there had really been little interaction between the two of them, and for that Cyril had been grateful. He had, however, maintained a close eye on her activities via a well-paid cleaning staff at her office. Just in case. “Why? Did Sadie show up at her office?”

“No, not her. But this is where it gets weird.”

“Weird? Weird how?” His irritation was melting away as he watched his angel squirm against her body’s natural reflex to relax after the mind-numbing orgasm she’d just experienced.

“It’s that Valerian guy. He showed up tonight.”

That distracted Cyril enough that he turned away from his prize. “Evan Valerian? He met with her?”

“Yup. Just showed up at her office tonight, out of the blue.”

“I see.”

“So…you’re glad I told you? I really wasn’t sure if it mattered, but you said to tell you anything unusual.”

“Yes, yes. It’s fine.” He honestly wasn’t sure what it meant either, but he knew he didn’t like it. Evan Valerian having any kind of liaison with Sadie’s obsessively competent lawyer was very suspicious. And troubling. He needed to know more, but unfortunately—and ironically—any kind of detective work was not part of his stooge’s repertoire. “I’ll take it from here.” He hung up and considered how he would go about digging up a more complete history on his dad’s old golf buddy. He recalled that Evan and Sadie had a casual friendship before his father’s death but Evan had virtually disappeared from the picture after the trial. Therefore Cyril had put Evan out of his mind. However this renewed interest needed to be watched carefully.

A cry from the other side of the room drew his attention. “Oh,” he said, vaguely irritated by the interruption to his thoughts. “I forgot about you. You can go. I’m done for now.”

With a sigh of relief, she parted her thighs and allowed the toy to thud to the floor. He was halfway to the washroom when her scream reminded him that he had to undo her bonds. If he wanted her gone he supposed he’d have to look after it. “Fuck. It’s always something.”

Sadie waltzed across the threshold of Jake’s apartment and immediately burst into song. “I could’ve danced all night. I could’ve danced all night.” She picked up a pillow from his couch and hugged it to her chest as she did a twirl. Because she couldn’t remember any more lyrics she skipped to the finale, “I could’ve danced, danced,
danced…all….night
!”

Gratified by Jake’s enthusiastic applause, punctuated by a hearty whistle, she bowed grandly. “Thank you, thank you very much.”

Laughing, Jake headed to the kitchen. “Have you looked at the time? You very nearly did dance all night.”

“Oh I know.” She waltzed after him but got distracted by the glittering lights and their reflection off the water outside. She stood at the patio doors, admiring. “But I did, you know. I felt like I could’ve just kept going. I haven’t had that much fun in…” She sighed. “I don’t think I’ve ever had that much fun.”

“I find that hard to believe.” She heard the refrigerator door snap shut and felt rather than saw him come up behind her. “But I am glad you had fun.”

“Oh I did. I really, really did.” She turned, expecting to find him holding two glasses of wine, but instead he held out a drumstick of cold fried chicken. She laughed. “What’s this? I thought you were getting wine.”

“It’s food, because you haven’t had anything to eat for hours, and the last thing you need is more wine.” He winked. “Water, definitely. But not more wine.”

She feigned a pout, but upon catching a whiff of the chicken realized he was right. She was famished. She snagged it and took a greedy bite. “Oh my God. That is good. Did you make it?”

He opened the patio doors and stepped out onto the balcony. “Oh no. It’s the Colonel’s secret recipe. I got a bucket a couple days ago. I always get a lot because I love leftovers.”

She followed him, savoring the cool night air on her hot skin. “Is that why you like me?”

“Huh?” he turned to her, his own hunk of chicken hovering near his mouth. “You’re not a leftover.”

She took another bite, chewed and swallowed hungrily. “Oh yes I am. I’m well-used and cast aside. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Some leftovers just get better with age.” She leaned against the railing and suddenly cried out in pain. “Oh my God!”

“What? What is it?” Jake was instantly on alert.

“My feet.” She slipped out of her shoes and sank down onto one of the padded chairs. “I think they just decided to fight back.” She allowed her head to sink back onto the cushion and her eyes to close as she stretched out her legs. “And I think they’re winning,” she groaned, even as she blindly took another bite of chicken.

“Poor muffin. You’re not used to all this fun.”

“You got that right. I—” She was startled to feel Jake’s hands on her ankles. She raised her head to see him lift both her feet from the cold concrete and lay them to rest in his lap.

“What are you—oh.” He’d dug his thumb into the arch of her foot and sent her soul careening toward heaven. Her head fell back onto the padded chair back once again. “Oh. I see.”

“Do you?” His chuckle was warm and low. “And what do you see?”

“I think I can see the pearly gates from here.”

“So it feels good then?”

“Good doesn’t begin to describe it.” She curled her toes as he ran that magical thumb up and down her arch and then massaged the ball of her foot. “I just have one request.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t ever stop.”

He started on the other foot. He said nothing, concentrating instead on working his way through every tiny knot and every millimeter of tired muscle. She drifted on the motions of those wonderfully warm hands, and found herself imagining what it would feel like to have them touching other parts of her body. Her legs, thighs, breasts…

Even as she thought it, his hands grazed over her ankles to begin kneading the backs of her calves. She lifted her head to watch him, enjoying the way the starlight played across his features—and then the way it glinted in his eyes as he gazed at her.

Something passed between them then. Something that sent a sizzle through her tummy and shivers down her spine.

Their gazes locked. His hands stilled with his palms still hot against her skin. “Is this okay?” His voice was little more than a whisper. “I thought your legs might be a bit sore too.”

Without considering the wisdom of it, without taking a moment to think about whether it was a good idea to be so brash with the man who had rescued her and been nothing but a gentleman from the moment they met—she dropped her feet to the floor, leaned forward and kissed him.

His lips were soft, hot and responsive—and the moment she tasted them she wanted more. She pressed harder, molded her mouth to his and let out a soft groan when his lips parted and his tongue slipped out to toy with hers. His hand came up to cup her cheek, and she replied with a hand to his chest. His silk shirt was smooth beneath her palm, his heartbeat rapid and rough.

She had a desperate need to touch his skin, to feel the reassuring press of flesh to flesh. It had been so long since she’d felt this kind of desire—since she’d felt so precious and cared for. She wanted to just wrap herself up in that—dive into it as if it were a warm, tropical ocean, and never come up for air.

She reached for the top button on his shirt but his hand on her wrist stopped her.

Blinking in surprise, she broke the kiss and immediately turned away. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“Don’t be.” His hand, still locked on her wrist, drew her back and his other hand came up to cup her chin. She met his gaze and what she saw there was not the reprimand she expected. “Don’t be sorry. I want this more than I can say.”

“But—”

“But not now. You’ve had too much to drink and you’re far too tired.”

She smiled. “I know what I’m doing, Jake. You wouldn’t be taking advantage of me.”

He ran his hand down her hair. “Maybe I would and maybe I wouldn’t. But either way, if and when we do…pursue this, I want it to be special and perfect. And I don’t want anybody to have any regrets.”

“I won’t, Jake. I can assure you.”

“You’re tipsy and tired, right?”

Grudgingly, she nodded.

“And you used all kinds of muscles tonight that haven’t been used in a very long time. Right?”

Another reluctant nod.

“So, how about a nice…sensual alternative to sex?”

She frowned, confused.

“A massage. I’m offering to give you a nice, long massage. Head to toe. You can lie down on the bed and fall asleep if you like. Surely you can’t turn down an offer like that.”

She smiled. “I suppose not. It sounds wonderful. It’s the best offer I’ve had in years.”

Rachel stepped out of the meeting hall into dappled morning sunshine that filtered down through a canopy of maple leaves. The air was crisp and fresh, laced with the scents of lilacs and damp earth. She also caught a faint whiff of the bacon that she knew the kitchen staff was cooking up for their breakfast. Her belly rumbled in anticipation, even as she gazed around anxiously in search of Noah.

He’d accompanied her to the sunrise service but then pleaded a previous commitment to helping out in the kitchen and left her in the capable hands of two good friends.

Rachel turned to see Tanya and Alaina burst out of the doors behind her, giggling wildly as they jostled and joked with the rest of the worshipers. Rachel had never been so perplexed and yet so charmed by a church group before in her life. They could go from quiet and reverent to loud, enthusiastic and festive in a heartbeat. In fact their version of enthusiasm was unlike any form of Christian expression she’d ever encountered before.

The previous night’s partying around a huge bonfire had included beer and wine and loud rock music along with Bible readings and recitations of various individual’s personal poems and testimonies. It had been unnerving—and strangely exciting. The spontaneity and sincerity of it had intoxicated her—as had the wine. She’d felt so free last night. Free to think and say and sing whatever her heart moved her to feel. And then she had looked at Noah and had felt something bloom in her chest—a fire that rivaled the heat of the fountain of sparks and flame that had been pouring out into the night.

He’d taken her hand then, and led her away from the fire into the cool dark shade of the trees and they had shared a kiss. A kiss that had sent blood coursing through her veins—and evil thoughts coursing through her mind.

She’d wanted to feel his hands on her skin. On every inch of her, from head to toe and every place in between. Her breasts had yearned for his touch. And her center had become swollen and hot with need. She’d never experienced these sensations before, and they at once fascinated and frightened her.

She knew what it meant. Her body was telling her to have sex with this man, but it was at war with her conscience—with every Bible verse and every warning that her mother had ever heaped upon her. Sex outside marriage was a sin.

Rachel had always accepted that before. It was Biblical, it was the Lord’s will, and it was a simple thing to follow his teaching. So why was it not so simple anymore? Suddenly she found herself asking questions that she’d never asked before. The most troubling being, why give her such a strong desire only to force her to deny it?

Self-control. Discipline. Sacrifice. These were the hallmarks of a good Christian. These were the things that got you into heaven. But that kiss had felt like heaven. Or at least the gateway to it. And what was so wrong with wanting a piece of heaven on earth, anyway?

The questions swirled in her head without answers. She wanted to see Noah—needed to see him. Now.